Tech Ed Class Unit: TECHNOLOGY LESSON WITH MY STUDENTS

How did you have to adjust what you planned? I had originally planned on doing a quick power point presentation to the students regarding our trip to the zoo. However, with the help of our tech specialists we were able to make my lesson more interactive and use a computer program to allow the students to complete an assignment that went hand in hand with the presentation I showed them. We were able to use the computer lab so that each student was able to have their own computer. I was also able to show the students what to do in their activity step by step using a big screen. I had not planned on the lesson to be so interactive, and it was great to be able to improve upon my original ideas and get the students more involved in the lesson.

Did students meet your understanding goal? ABSOLUTELY. Students understand that we were going to go to the zoo and understood the content we covered. I truly believe our field trip was more successful due to this lesson. I have never had a more successful field trip and was pleasantly surprised when the students where motivated to interact in the lesson and participate in the activity afterward. (Students got to draw their zoo animals that they would see using Hyperstudio) None of my students had ever used this program nor really used a computer mouse to draw a picture. They learned about different formatting options when drawing and were able to draw very nice pictures of zoo animals with some adult assistance and verbal prompting. It was an absolute joy to watch the children have fun with the activity and to truly grasp the concept I was trying to convey to them.

Did the technology help students achieve this goal? Yes, I feel it was the technology that helped the students truly understand that we were going to the zoo, the rules for the zoo, and what the trip entailed. If it was not for technology I probably would have just printed out simple pictures or used a book and verbally explain our field trip. As my students are usually strongest with their visual learning skills and learn more using visuals, the technology appealed to their learning modality. They enjoyed the visuals that I presented to them and kept them engaged in the activity.

Did they use higher order skills? Absolutely! I often asked the students questions so that they can try to come up with the answers on their own. I also would ask the students to come to the screen and point out different parts of the presentation. Students were also required to use the computer in a way there were not familiar with. They had never used a computer for actual "work" and had always only used it to play their favorite games. Students had to learn that a computer has more than one function, which can be difficult for some of my students to understand.

Did their tech/skills improve? I believe so, they learned about Hyperstudio, they learned how to use a mouse to draw pictures, and since the activity I have seen them use other applications to draw some of their own pictures. One student even asked to use Hyperstudio again to create a dinosaur book. I think the activity helped them realize that a computer has a lot more functions besides to play games, and they learned about different keys and how to change colors and paintbrushes, etc.

What did you like about the project? I liked that we were able to use computer lab to do the lesson. This made the lesson sooooo much better than all of us huddling around my laptop and trying to do an activity over one computer. Each one of the students was able to complete their own activity on their own computer. I allowed them to be independent and instructed all the adults to only verbally prompt and not to take the mouse or type anything in for the students. It was important to me that each one of the students did the assignment on their own and to encourage them, and use positive verbal reinforcent to tell them how great they were doing and how great thier pictures looked.
What did your students like? My students enjoyed all of the visuals. They liked seeing all the pictures of animals. They also liked the sounds I added to the pictures and how some of the pictures moved in and out of the screen. They enjoyed drawing their own animals and getting an opportunity to use the computer themselves. They where very pleased when they saw their creations being printed on paper and were excited to take them home.

What could have gone smoother? I have to be honest, I think the entire 2 day lesson went completely as planned and turned out better than expected. I was surprised by the level of interest the students showed and how excited they were about going back to the computer lab the 2nd day. They wanted to see the presentation again and wanted to draw their animals and finish their zoo book. I don't think there is anything I could have changed to make the lesson smoother, however I think there are things I could have done to improve my powerpoint. I could have added more details to my presentation, made it even more interactive, and added more visuals/sounds.


Image link: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1243943